Ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is reminding residents to use caution when shopping online or in stores.

Shoppers should review the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recent recalls and product safety warnings before shopping this holiday season, the attorney general’s office said in a news release.

The CPSC’s up-to-date list highlights hundreds of items with recalls or safety warnings, including toys, clothing, furniture and household items.

“Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the biggest shopping days of the year, but shoppers should be careful to avoid scams or unsafe products in their rush to chase down the best deal,” Raoul said in the release. “I encourage all Illinois consumers to take their time when making purchases, and follow our tips for safe shopping this holiday season.”

The attorney general’s office encourages people to consider the following recommendations before shopping online this holiday season:

• Research “buy now, pay later” plans. Some zero-interest offers may include hidden fees or interest charges that increase if a payment is missed. These plans also can affect a consumer’s credit score.

• Avoid fake websites. Scammers often use look-alike sites, ads or sponsored links to trick shoppers. Double check to ensure you have typed in the right website address. Remember that just because a website is at the top of the search results doesn’t mean it’s the official website.

• Read reviews, and search for complaints by looking up the company name with terms such as “scam” or “review.”

• Be cautious with links sent via email or texts from unfamiliar sources, and never allow third-party remote access to your device.

• Never share private information such as Social Security numbers, passwords or financial data through email, text or pop-up windows.

• Beware of drop shippers posing as manufacturers or selling counterfeit or low-quality items. Dishonest drop shippers may try to trick you into believing they are the manufacturer, charge you extra fees, or send counterfeit goods or poor-quality goods – if you receive anything at all.

• Use credit cards when possible, which offer greater fraud protection than debit cards, gift cards or cash. Services such as Apple Pay and Google Pay add another layer of security.

• Use caution when using peer-to-peer payment apps. Be extremely careful when sending peer-to-peer payments through apps such as Zelle, PayPal, Venmo and Cash App. Double check the recipient’s information before sending money, and only send payments to people you know and trust.

• Enable multifactor authentication when available.

• Read the fine print to avoid unwanted recurring charges from subscriptions or memberships.

• Get a delivery date. Sellers must ship within 30 days unless they notify the buyer of delays and provide an option to cancel.

• Sign up for free fraud alerts from your bank or credit card.

• Use strong, unique passwords, and change them every six months.

• Don’t rush. It can be tempting to move quickly to try to score good deals in the frenzy of the holiday sale season. Scammers count on perceived pressure to convince us to do things we otherwise wouldn’t, such as sharing personal information.

• Buy gift cards from secure locations, and check cards for signs of tampering to avoid gift card-draining scams. Be wary of cards sold by third parties or on auction sites.

• Report counterfeit, unsafe or stolen goods sold by high-volume third-party sellers on online marketplaces. Under the federal INFORM Consumers Act and Illinois INFORM Consumers Act, platforms must verify seller identities and provide a way to report suspicious activity.

The Federal Trade Commission recently reached a settlement with Temu after the company failed to provide a reporting mechanism for questionable marketplace activity.

Consumers who believe they have been the victim of a scam can file a complaint on the Illinois Attorney General’s Office website or contact the consumer fraud hotlines:

• 800-386-5438 (Chicago)

• 800-243-0618 (Springfield)

• 800-243-0607 (Carbondale)

• 866-310-8398 (Spanish-language hotline)